VARIATIONS OF PERIPHERAL VISUAL FIELDS WITH AGE

The changes in the peripheral field which occur with age were determined in 105 apparently normal subjects whose ages ranged from 15 to 88 years. The field size was measured for two target intensities of white light and also red light in a Goldmann spherical perimeter with simultaneous measurement of pupil size and position of the globe in the orbit. The method of estimation included measuring the fields both centrifugally and centripetally to compensate for the increasing reaction time of the older subjects. Previous standards for the average peripheral fields have been compared with the present results. In addition maximum and minimum fields to include 95% of normal subjects at the two extremes of life have been prepared. It has been established that when the illumination is sufficiently bright to give almost maximum fields, the field constriction due to age although of similar magnitude in all quadrants of the field results from different causes. On the temporal side the increasing senile miosis can well account for the field change and there does not appear to be evidence of peripheral retinal change. In contrast to this, the contraction of the nasal field does not correlate with pupil size or with the configuration of the orbital margin, and remains remarkably constant until about the 60 th year. The time occurrence of the nasal field contraction corresponds with the onset of retinal degeneration. © 1968 Dr. W. Junk N. V.